From the Shadows
by Kitten
Summary: Free from the shadow realm, Bakura is forced to reside in another body until Ryou wakes from his coma. Then a dangerous foe learns of Ryou’s fragile condition and the identity of the new host. Who will win the fight for possession of the Millennium Rin
1. Default Chapter

Prologue

"How long has he been here like this?"

"Six months."

"Such a handsome boy, what happened to him?"

The on call doctor pulled out the clipboard hanging outside the shadow filled room and looked down at it.

"It says a young girl found him unconscious in a park with not a mark on him. Blood work and CAT scan came up with nothing unusual. So did x-rays, not a soul knows what's wrong."

The nurse looked back into the room where she knew the mysteriously comatose white hair teen lay in bed.

"Do we have a name?" she asked turning her attention back to the doctor.

"Ryou Bakura according to the gentleman paying his medical expenses." He replied and shuddered, "That _Malik Ishtar_ with his scarred face and that _creepy_ little boy." The doctor shuddered again.

"Are they related to Ryou, do you suppose?" the nurse inquired as the two walked away.

"Mr. Ishtar said he was but_ I _don't believe it."

From inside the dark chamber came a snicker. Moments later, the door to the room quietly closed then dim neon fluorescence lit up the area beside the hospital bed.

She sat silently there in a chair beside him. It was awkward for her to sit here, to say the least; especially the looks the doctor's constantly gave her; like she'd came from the trash... well... in one sense they were right...

She sat just there; in not much more than the white tube top she constantly played with at the hem, torn up black jeans that were more like shorts. Her face and arms scraped and cut in various places. Quickly, she knew she wanted some reprieve and gazing down at big knee high boots a size too large didn't quite cut it.

"I came up with a great version of Kaiba Corps duel disks" she spoke in barely a whisper turning to the boy laying aside her, "Made them cooler and not as bulky as the ones sported at Battle City."

Silence greeted her but she went on accustomed to the one sided conversations she always had with Ryou since she found him six months ago.

"Did I ever tell you you're my only friend?" 

_Of course you have... you do nothing short but to say it every single night... _That familiar ominous whisper snarled in retort.

She looked down at the gold pendant around her neck. The pyramid with the Eye of Ra in the center surrounded by a ring with pointers around it.

It seemed to glow for a moment. Her gaze became distant and lost, as if something inside were drawing her close and…

Suddenly a small beeper device began to vibrate at her side, snapping her rudely back to the present. 

She looked down at it and groaned.

"Gotta go. I'll come back soon, 'kay?"

She leaned over and quickly kissed Ryou on the forehead before covertly slipping out. Seconds after girl disappeared, five robed individuals dashed inside to find the room void of visitors.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

The sound of techno music and the noise of a welder filled the underground boxcar. Sparks hit the tinted goggles and threatened to ignite the straight wisps of black hair surrounding her face. After a moment, the girl turned off the welder and set it down beside her.

"Stupid hair." She muttered jerking her ponytail down and tried placing the stray locks back with the rest of her red hair. Once that failed, she jerked off the goggles and began hunting for another rubber band.

_Aw, poor Tanith, _came the familiar taunting voice inside her head as she rummage in a pile of junk in the corner. _Can't find a rubber. _

A figure appeared suddenly from thin air. Long and wild white spiky hair, dark and soulless brown eyes. He might have been cute if it weren't for his harsh looking features. 

Tanith spun to where the man appeared, dressed exactly as her; same ratty jeans, same boots that fit better and dirty duster buttoned at mid-drift, no tube top though.

"Bakura, do something useful and drop dead." She told him.

He snickered at Tanith as she continued her search for something to tie her hair back. "Millennias too late."

She came up with a scrap of cloth and tied her loose hair at the top of her head. "Fine, hope some ugly mutt is happily gnawing on your bones."

Tanith slipped on the goggles and turned the music up louder before starting up the welder again. Sparks skirted Bakura where he stood as if the light feared the spirit.

"And what are **we** working on today? Another **ingenious** **toy** that will turn your rags to riches?" He asked circling around her like vulture.

"I can't hear you" she told him in a singsong tone of voice. "I'm working on another one of my so called **toys.**"

Bakura nodded and smiled ominously, "Your boyfriend Ryou would be so… **proud**."

Tanith speared him with a glare then returned to her work. Bakura smirked at her and continued.

"What do you suppose will happen when he awakes, Tanith?" the spirit leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Think he'll adore you for your sacrifice?"

The words brought back memories.

The moon was high in the sky, sending its bright rays down into the park below. Shadows danced in between the eerie white light and the mysterious night.

Tanith walked through the park musing about what the future would hold for her. Homeless and orphaned without a cent to her name, the future looked pretty grim.

Up ahead, came a loud crash startling Tanith out of her reverie. She jumped and saw a shadow stumble into the light of an overhead street lamp.

Tanith watched as a disheveled white haired boy about her age lurched up the path toward her and then collapse in a heap. 

She didn't pause to think about what might have happened to the boy or the threat of a set-up against a lone girl in a dark park. She raced up to the boy and knelt down beside him.

"Hey!" she called out gently shaking him. "Wake up."

The boy didn't make a sound or a move. Tanith bit her lip nervously and felt around the guy for a wallet. 

Before discovery said wallet, Tanith discovered what she would later learn to be the Millennium Ring around the boy's neck.

She found a school ID and read the name from it: Ryou Bakura. _Tanith shook Ryou again._

"Ryou, hey I'm gonna have to take your necklace so it doesn't get stolen while you're at the hospital." She told him as she slipped the Ring off from around her neck. " I'll keep it nice and safe for ya. Okay?"

Tanith slipped the Millennium Ring around her neck and a strange light surrounded her. Pictures swam before her. A struggle and fight against endless Shadows. A pull toward light and then…the moon!

After so long in the Shadows… after so long a fight she…no HE_ could see the moon. But so weak… So very weak._

"A girl?!_" shouted an unfamiliar voice. Tanith awoke from her trance with a gasp and looked at the speaker in shock._

As she looked at the almost twin of the boy collapsed in front of her, he went on.

"I am **not**_ going to be stuck in girl's body!" he kicked at Ryou's body, "Wake up, you pathetic--"_

"Who the heck are you?" Tanith exclaimed, "What is going on here?"

The stranger turned to her and smirked, "You may call me Bakura."

"Okay **Bakura**_," she said knowing that probably wasn't his real name, "What just happened?"_

He groaned and muttered a few choice foreign sounding curses. Tanith caught the word `Millennium Ring' and assumed he was talking about the necklace.

Tanith snorted and gingerly lifted Ryou up, "Fine, don't answer."

"It's a long story, I'm trying to think where to start!" He snarled.

"Let me" she snapped. "You look just like this guy Ryou and I can see right through you so I'm betting you're some kind of spirit that possessed him and now that he's in a bad way you need my body until Ryou gets better."

"Listen you stupid mortal," Bakura snapped back but Tanith cut him off.

"Can it, I gotta get this guy to the hospital."

Bakura growled as Tanith turned away from him and she suddenly felt a tug to her very soul. It was as if someone was trying to take over her body. She growled fighting it and focused on moving her two feet one in front of the other.

Her arms began to grow numb and she felt as if she was losing control of herself. Suddenly she realized what was occurring.

"You're trying to take over." She said with amazement spinning to face Bakura. "You're trying but you're not going to succeed."

Tanith freed herself with one slight mental push against his control and turned to walk away.

"How in Ra's name did you do that!?" he demanded.

Tanith rolled her eyes, "I have some psychic powers. Why else do you think I'm not freaking out about being a host to some angry spirit?"

That shut Bakura up and so she began dragging Ryou toward a nearby hospital. When that didn't work to her satisfaction, Tanith looked around for anyone watching, found she was alone, and began using a psychic ability to lift Ryou's form.

"A psychokinetic. Nice." Bakura commented following his ex-host's body as it hovered behind the girl as she walked. "I can think of some interesting things I can do with that_ power."_

Tanith spun on him, "You will not be doing anything with my power, I'll kick you out of my mind before that happens."

"But what about Ryou?" Bakura asked with innocent smile, "If I can't have your body, I'll have to return to Ryou's and that'll kill him."

Tanith spared Ryou a glance. She didn't know him from Adam but somewhere out there someone did. He probably had a pair of concerned parents wondering where their darling son vanished to. A load of admirers who'd miss the object of their affection…and friends that Tanith didn't have one of.

"Fine, you can stay in my body." She whispered hiding the Ring under her shirt. Bakura vanished from sight.

And I **do**deserve **some** control, _his sinister voice whispered in her mind. _It wouldn't be fair.

__

Ryou arrived at the hospital with one arm draped around Tanith's shoulder instead of floating. The doctors raced over to her and she was asked the usual questions as Ryou was taken away. What happened? Where was he found? Do you know who he is? All Tanith answered to their satisfaction.

She stayed until a doctor came out and told her about Ryou. He was stable but in a coma. There was nothing apparently wrong with him but the doctors suspected he went through some type of trauma_ and his mind simply shut itself down to recover._

At that Tanith heard Bakura snicker. Oh yeah, fighting your way out of the Shadow Realm will do that.

_ She forced a smile as the doctor continued. _

Ryou's father couldn't be reached but a **MalikIstar**_, called to see if anyone of Ryou's description was admitted. He claimed to be a distant relative of Ryou's and when he learned Ryou was here, he told doctors he'd be right over. `Malik' arrived an hour later accompanied by a blond boy and filled out the necessary paperwork for Ryou's stay._

"Did he have a necklace around his neck?" 'Malik' inquired as he filled out the papers. "It would be a gold pyramid surrounded by a ring."

"No sir, you might wish to ask the young lady over there." A nurse replied pointing at Tanith, "She was the one who brought your cousin in."

Tanith's deep blue eyes locked with the blond boy's lavender ones.

Don't tell him! They're after the Ring,_ Bakura snapped._

"I-I didn't see him wearing anything." She flushed and added quietly, "Other than clothes."

The boy smiled and it sent chills up Tanith's spine for many reasons, one being fear.

"If you see it, please inform the hospital staff and they'll inform me." 'Malik' told her as she quickly rose to her feet.

Tanith saluted him, "Will do. If I see any Millennium Rings , I'll tell ya." She winced and quickly dashed out of the hospital.Bakura appeared just as she was safely outside.

"Why don't you just scream to them you have it!" he shouted.

"Excuse me I was nervous!" she snapped. "Those two are creepy. Just where did that Malik guy get those scars on his face?"

"Malik's the boy, the other one is his servant."

"Great, so those two aren't Ryou's relatives huh."

"No. They're just after the Ring."

Tanith sighed, "Great, just great. The **one time**_ I become a Good Samaritan, I get stuck with a spirit from a comatose stranger and two weirdoes after the stranger's jewelry."_

_"And an army of the weirdoes' forces after us." Bakura added._

"Perfect!" she cried throwing up her arms, "I have an army after me! What am I gonna do now?"

"Stop talking and hiding would be a good start." He suggested with a smirk. "Malik and his servant **are** _just a few yards away."_

Tanith nodded and dashed off into the night. 


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

__

Crap, I forgot the disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or the ever-loveable Bakura.

"Think Ryou will know of the nights you spent running from Rare Hunters?" Bakura whispered snapping her back to the present. "The sleepless days and nights that have gone by?"

"It's part of the deal of having a Millennium item: having jokers try to take it from you."

Bakura backed a step and nodded, "And what do you suppose his reaction will be when he sees what happens when you allow me in control of your body." He smiled darkly, "Ryou looked enough like me that the change wasn't so drastic. **You** on the other hand Tanith Lee…"

She threw her goggles at the apparition, "I **know**, okay! I've seen what happens when you're in control, you think I like it?"

"I do." 

Tanith scowled, "Yeah, you would."

Bakura only smiled sinisterly. 

"I hate it when you're in this mood."

"What mood?" he asked innocently.

"The I-just-have-to-annoy-Tanith-as-much-as-I-can mood." She replied retrieving her goggles and slipped them back on, "It's really annoying, Bakura."

The spirit chuckled, "I think that's the point, dear."

Tanith laughed as well as she returned to her work, "Yeah, I know and that's the most annoying part."

"So." Bakura purred sliding up behind her. "What are we going to do?"

"About?" she prompted as sparks scattered around her.

He leaned over and rested his chin on her head, "Entertainment, Ryou, Malik… the usual."

Tanith got a mischievous smile, "What we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!"

She began singing the theme song from Pinky and the Brain as Bakura groaned.

"…One is a genius, the other's insane!"

"I am offended." Bakura said looking down at her, "I happen to have a very good reason for being the way I am."

"Uh huh." She replied and burst into song again. "I am a genius, you're deviously insane."

"Better."

Tanith laughed, "I like you better when you're in a playful mood."

"I don't need to be liked." He replied laying his head down again. "You didn't answer my question, what are we going to do?"

With a sigh, she shrugged. "For entertainment, you can watch me fix this generator."

"I'd rather watch grass grow."

"Screw you too!" Tanith exclaimed and sighed, "About Ryou, we can sneak into the hospital again and check up on him."

"And nearly get caught by Rare Hunters again."

"We got out in time, thanks to my Rare Hunter detector!"

Bakura stood up straight and threw up his hands, "Why couldn't you set that thing where it could detect them before they're almost next to us?"

"Because if I did, it would detect **any** amount of gold found around us." Tanith shot back, "The way it's set now, the device will only alert us if it spots those chains they're always seem to be wearing."

The spirit snorted, "And what about Malik? Are you going to use to **toys** to avoid him?"

Tanith spun around, "Malik's your guy. I don't mess with the Millennium Ring's powers. You take care of him."

"Let me remind you who sent Ryou and I to the Shadow Realm for almost a year and caused you to be stuck in the condition you are." Bakura snapped. "Malik. Do you think I can defeat him in a Shadow Game with **you **so charmed by him?"

She sighed, "But I'm not..."

"As you're so fond of saying, **can it**. I know you like him, you know you like him and Malik knows you like him."

"I don't like that creep!" Tanith shouted.

"Then why were you blushing and acting so shy around him?"

"Ever hear of **intimidation**?"

"Ever hear the word **enamored**?"

"Oh, the grade school drop-out **Tomb Raider** knows a big word." Tanith snapped. 

"Shut up!" Bakura growled and a wave of dark energy slammed into Tanith, knocking her back four feet. A second later, Bakura too flew into the air and slammed into the ground in a tangled heap.

"Take that." Tanith's weak voice cried. Both groggily got to their feet and met back with each other.

"Don't insult my intelligence." He huffed.

"Agreed as long as you quit saying I like Malik. For Christ's sake I met the guy once." She replied with a groan.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Tanith went back to repairing the generator as Bakura went back into the Ring. There they stayed until nightfall. The generator was fixed and hooked back up to the other three so Tanith and Bakura could have some electricity for their home.

_Done yet? _Bakura asked telepathically.

"Yup, all done." Tanith replied as the spirit appeared from the Ring. She wiped her hands clean of grease on her shirt as she continued, "Now that that's done, you can go have some fun."

Bakura rubbed his hands together as he returned to the Ring and took over for Tanith. A glow surrounded the girl and grew from the Ring until it enveloped her. When the light vanished, it was Bakura himself who stood in her place.

_What are you going to do? _Tanith inquired. _I remember the time when you broke into Kaibaland and had me screw with the dueling arenas._

That **was**_ fun. _Bakura replied

__

Tanith giggled, _Turning all defense monsters into attack monsters and vise versa _**did**_ cause quite a stir._

_Seto Kaiba himself had come down from his offices to fix our mischief._

Planning on another trip?

No, but what I have in mind might solve a problem or two.

Tanith giggled, _Can't wait._

The hospital had the eerie quiet that all places at night have. The noises that once filled the halls dimmed. The ever-present lights cast shadows everywhere. One such shadow crept down the halls with expert ease and slipped into a dim room, shutting the door quietly behind them.

Bakura looked down at his comatosed hikari and sighed. Why did he ever get involved with Malik Ishtar? He smiled wryly, to get his Millennium Rod of course. 

And now that he can't have the Egyptian God cards, he's after the next best thing, the Millennium Items. Beginning with mine, Bakura thought grimly. 

"I was wondering when you'd show up." A familiar voice said from the room's shadows. Bakura spun around in time to see Malik step into the light of the bedside lamp.

"Wait no more." Bakura replied watching his foe flip on the lights and take a seat across from him.

"What did you call me here for?" Malik inquired, "Not that I'm not delighted you did, saves me the trouble of tracking you down."

_You called him? Why the heck did you call him?!_ Tanith screamed.

_Patience, you'll see._ Bakura said aloud, "To play a game."

"I already defeated you in a Shadow Game."

Tanith sensed her **guest's** ire but he kept his cool, "Not a Shadow Game, another." Bakura chuckled, "In fact, you have already begun playing it."

Malik's curiosity got the better of him, "And what game is that, Tomb Robber?"

Bakura smiled sinisterly, "Chess. You send out one of your pawns, we counter."

"You mean you and that foolish street urchin."

_Ha! And you said he liked me, Bakura._

The once tomb robber didn't blink as he answered her. _He does, he just won't admit it to me. Now shut up and let me talk._ "Who has been able to avoid your Rare Hunters for six months, Ishtar?" he shot back with a smirk.

Malik scowled, "What's in it for me?"

Bakura leaned up against the wall next to where Ryou lay asleep, "Everything you want."

This made Malik even more curious, "How do we play?"

_Score!_ Tanith exclaimed. _You got the lil fishy!_

From the folds of his jacket, Bakura brought out a battered chessboard and pieces and sat them on Ryou's food tray.

"Tanith or I will meet you here and play our move for the night. As with regular chess, whomever gets checkmate, wins."

"If we win, you will leave Ryou, Tanith and I alone." Bakura continued with a sinister smile.

Malik crossed his arms in front of him, "So you'll risk getting captured every night just to save your hikari and your host. How sweet."

Bakura glared at him, "I'm not sweet."

_Sure you are Bakura_, Tanith retorted. _Why I bet when Ryou wakes up, you'll be out picking flowers for him._

_You're a sick and twisted mortal, Tanith_. Bakura told her and said aloud, "Are you willing to pass up the even greater chance of getting my Ring?"

Across from him, Malik seemed to think about it. He drummed his fingers on the table, looking up at Bakura with a Mona Lisa smile. 

"I'll play your game…as long as it's against your _Tanith_." He replied. Bakura felt her cowering in her soul room.

_I don't want to be **near** him let alone play chess with him. He's too creepy._ She told the yami.

_Picture him dressed as the Easter Bunny, _Bakura advised. _A great big, pink and fluffy bunny._

That's creepy just thinking about it, Tanith replied evenly.

Bakura growled and shoved her out of the soul room and after being enveloped by light, Tanith stood where the yami once did.

"Bakura! You get back here." Tanith demanded and stomped her feet childishly. Malik seeing this cleared his throat audibly and Tanith blushed furiously.

"Mr Ishtar!" she exclaimed. "So lovely to see you once again, ya creepy guy you."

"Malik." He corrected rising to his feet. 

Tanith blushed again and began setting up the chess game. She paused when she felt Malik's breath against the back of her neck.

"May I be so bold as to call you Tanith?" he whispered in her ear. 

"S-sure be as bold as ya want."

Malik chuckled and brushed a strand of black hair back away from her face. "You know, under all that dirt and grime, you're actually rather attractive."

_Aww isn't he a romantic. _Bakura cooed, _A real Casanova._

Tanith shook herself and moved away from the Egyptian. _Thanks for spoiling the mood._

No problem, I always was a party pooper in life.

Tanith chuckled, "I bet you say that too all the girls you try to beat in chess."

Admitting defeat, Malik stepped back and allowed Tanith to finish setting the game up. Once she was done, she rolled up the table to the chair he once more sat in.

"White or black, Mr Ishtar."

"Black, I was taught to allow ladies to go first." He replied, "And please call me Malik."

"Wow manners, I'm impressed." Tanith walked out of the room and returned shortly with another chair, which she sat down across from Malik. Once she sat down she moved a pawn to E4.

"You don't sound very." He told her as he moved a pawn to C6.

Tanith studied the chess board, "No really, a depraved guy like yourself having manners. Wow." She moved another pawn to D4 then looked up at him, "Your turn, Mr Ishtar."

Malik sighed and studied the board propping his head on his fists, sending strands of platinum hair forward into his face. Unconsciously, Tanith used her telekinesis to brush them back. Lavender colored eyes shot up to lock with dark blue.

"Something wrong?" she inquired sweetly. "Can't think because you're so enamoured with me?"

_Oooo, big word Tanith, learn that before you dropped out?_ Bakura inquired sweetly as he could.

_You're just jealous I got passed grade school, _Tanith shot back.

"You're pretty." Malik said with a chuckle, he moved a pawn to D5 and added, "But not _that_ pretty." 

_Shot down!_ Bakura exclaimed gleefully. Tanith smirked as she moved a knight to C3.

Malik began studying the board again then his eyes lit up, spelling trouble. Tanith watched helplessly as the pawn on E4 was taken by D5.

Tanith studied the board as her Rare Hunter detector began vibrating. She rose to her feet and applauded her foe.

"Nicely executed but it is time for this game to be discontinued, I sense your Rare Hunters are arriving to visit Ryou."

She walked out the door with a wave and then into the night. The Rare Hunters missed her by two seconds.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Tanith awoke the next day with the world's worse hangover. Grimy covers were thrown back from the gym mat that served as a bed and sunshine rained down upon her. She groaned and pushed her hair out of her eyes and squinted up at the salvaged digital clock that sat on her salvaged nightstand.

_1:30 PM_. Tanith groaned again just as the Ring began to glow and Bakura appeared cheerfully with a beer bottle in his hands.

"Good afternoon Tanith!" he exclaimed and took a chug of beer. Tanith rolled her tongue around her sour tasting mouth.

"You got drunk and now _I'm_ the one with the hangover." She muttered. Bakura leaned down and smiled cheekily then gave her a kiss on the head.

"Oh my." He said with a faked British accent. "The spirit had too many spirits and now I'm suffering."

Tanith squinted up at him, "Who are you imitating now? Prince Charles? The Croc Hunter?"

Bakura laughed and twirled in a circle, lost his balance and crashed to the floor, "_Oh my_."

Tanith laughed and hissed in pain, "You're drunk."

Bakura jumped up and began dancing around the boxcar, "No, it's a bird. It's a plane. It's my impersonation of Ryou on a bender!"

"Ryou's British?" 

The drunk yami nodded vigorously, "Hehehe, I'm Egyptian, he's British and you're… by the way what are you?"

"I'm a girl."

Bakura giggled…something Tanith had never heard before from him, "A girl! Haha!"

She threw the covers back over herself, "Wake me when you're not Fred Astaire."

"Fred Astaire! _Oh my_."

Tanith felt like she had only rested a few more minutes when she was viciously shook awake.

_Wake up Sleeping Beauty, your prince awaits! _Tanith threw back the covers and found Bakura glaring down at her. 

"About time." He muttered.

"Do you want to wake up and find yourself in a dress." She inquired sweetly as she checked her clock. _6:30 PM._

Bakura went white for a second and growled, "You wouldn't dare."

She sat up and just smiled. He was silent.

"Ya know maybe I ought to wear a dress." Tanith said as she got to her feet. "Everyone said I looked good in a dress when I was younger. Maybe Malik will be so dazzled by me he'll leave us alone."

Bakura snorted, "Please. He's already dazzled enough, I can't take anymore dazzle."

She stuck out her tongue at him as she slipped on her boots.

"Nah, at least I wasn't the one who was dancing around the place giggling, and talking in a fake British accent." Tanith told him then paused, "Though you did sound kinda sexy."

Bakura chuckled, "Sexy hmm? Does Tanith have another crush?"

"Does Bakura wanna wake up wearing pink lace?" she shot back sweetly then busted up laughing at the disgusted face the yami made. She stood up and patted him on the head. 

"No worries. I haven't gotten a hold of a dress since I was a child."

"What were you like as a child?" Bakura inquired as Tanith finger combed her hair and put it up in a ponytail. "I mean you didn't always live in the city dump in a buried train car."

The black streaks of her hair slid down in her somber face as she sat down in front of her worktable. She took out a jumble of wires from the mess on the table, put it back down and began tinkering with a set of cables attached to a metal cube. Sparks shot out every time she but the wires together and Tanith would smile faintly when it would.

"I was like most children, happy and innocent." She finally answered putting the cube and wires back from where she got them and picked up another piece of junk she could tinker with. "Had a mom and a dad, I think an older sibling. Normal kiddie stuff."

"What happened?" the yami inquired quietly.

"They died." She replied and turned to face him, "You see when I told you my name was Tanith Lee, I only gave you my first and middle name. My real name is Tanith Lee Rivencroft."

Bakura merely cocked his head inquisitively, "And that's supposed to mean…?"

Tanith laughed, "Don't tell me you haven't heard of the Maxville fire."

He shook his head and Tanith sighed.

"About six years ago there was a small town called Maxville. One day some stupid teenagers thought it would be _real_ _cute_ to start a fire in the school so they could get out of a test. That small fire ended up spreading throughout the entire town and burning it to the ground. The only survivor was a little girl who didn't have a mark on her. Where she stood was some of the prettiest Indian paintbrushes surrounded by a field of black. I was ten years old when I saved myself and those flowers with my telekinesis."

"So how did you end up in Domino, at the park where Ryou and I appeared from the Shadow Realm?"

"Grandparents lived here. After they died, I was on my own."

"You saw your entire village die… Like I did." Bakura murmured. 

"You saw everyone around you die too?" Tanith asked incredulous. "Wow talk about coincident. What are the odds of two survivors of town slaughters meeting."

"Slim." Bakura replied with a thoughtful frown. "It appears Fate had a hand in our meeting."

She tossed the toy over her shoulder onto the worktable and smirked, "Whoever said Fate doesn't have a sense of humor…"

Bakura smirked as well, "So I'm not the only one who finds this situation we're in amusing."

"Oh you know I enjoy being a She-male." 

There was a brief pause before they started laughing. For a moment they could believe they were normal teenagers laughing over some trivial funny the other had said. Tanith could be laughing with her best friend. Bakura could be laughing with Ryou, the only person he actually cared a little for.

But they weren't.

"So!" Tanith said as they both calmed down. "What to do now."

"Try to take over the world?" Bakura suggested lightly. Tanith giggled and hummed a little bit of the theme song.

"Not right now Pinky!" she scolded with a grin. "First we must plot Malik's demise and safely insure Ryou's safety."

"Don't we sound heroic now."

She waved at him, "Whatever. Ya think it's safe to assume when we get to the hospital, Malik is going to be there…alone."

"I think it'd be safe to assume he's got a dinner party for two set up in Ryou's room."

Tanith rolled her eyes, "Not interested. So what if I just knock him out a window with my power, situation solved, right?"

"Malik is paying the hospital bills on Ryou. His little servant Rashid or something like it, might be angry enough to toss Ryou out a window as well." Bakura replied, "And if not his faithful servant then there's the Rare Hunters that might."

Tanith winced, "Rats! I was looking forward to killing the weirdo."

Bakura chuckled, "You are like a shadow of myself and Ryou."

Tanith cocked her head and was silent as he continued

He nodded and crossed his arms in front of him, "You have both traits of a hikari and yami, a hitokage. A shadow, maybe our shadow…"

"Like that guy who follows Malik around."

Bakura smirked, "In a way."

"Cool. So now that I got a spiffy nickname, what are we going to do?"

"We are going to the hospital and _you_ are going to win the chess game against Malik."

Tanith grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

Now I really would love reviews. Reviews keeps me from taking this story and trashing it. 


	5. Chapter Four

"…And I play Celtic Guardian and his attack takes your life points to zero." Yugi said with flourish and the blond across from him groaned.

Beside the short tri-color hair teen, another friend Tristan laughed.

"That's five for Yugi and zero for Joey." He told everyone around the table. 

Sitting across from the brown hair Tristan sat Tea, Yugi's girlfriend of the past year. The brown hair and blue eyed girl leaned over and kissed Yugi's cheek in celebration. The blush that creeped along the King of Game's cheeks was a stark contrast to his purple eyes.

Joey sighed and gathered up his cards, his brown eyes shooting daggers at Tristan as he muttered, "Rub it in a little, why don'tcha."

At that time an elderly man resembling Yugi waddled in with a big pot of spaghetti and sat it on the table as Yugi himself gathered up his cards.

"Thanks for inviting us over, Mr. Mutou." Tea said to Yugi's grandfather. Joey went and got plates for the meal, since the deal was whoever lost the last game would set the table. As Joey set out five plates and forks for everyone Solomon replied.

"I'm happy to have you all over here. With everything that's happened…"

"Yeah," Yugi piped up. "I mean with all the duel competitions and then Ryou disappearing and the search for him, we haven't gotten a chance to sit down together like this."

"Yeah, no rest for the King and his men." Joey replied loading his plate up with food.

"Excuse me Joey, do I look like a man to you." Tea exclaimed as Tristan filled his plate up and then Yugi did his.

Joey paled seeing the fury in Tea's eyes, "No! You look girlie!"

Tristan scooped up a bit forkful of food and shoved it into Joey's mouth before he could say anymore.

_What did Joey do this time?_ A voice inside Yugi's head inquired.

_The usual, Yami._ Yugi replied. _Sticking his foot in his mouth._

He does do that a lot… the once Pharaoh responded wryly. Yugi laughed and began eating his dinner with his grandfather.

The evening settled down into night. Again Joey and Yugi were playing Duel monsters while everyone watched. Again Yugi won and Tea kissed him while Tristan laughed at Joey and Grandpa, as most called Mr. Mutou, gave him dueling tips. 

Just as everything began settling down, there was a faint crash from downstairs and the tinkling of glass.

"Sounds like someone broke in." Grandpa exclaimed as the teenagers jumped up and headed toward the stairs. "I'll call the police."

"Nah we'll handle this." Joey said as he popped his knuckles.

Tea pulled out some mace her pocket and held it up with a grin. Not to be outdone, Yugi was enveloped in a bright light and where the short boy stood a slightly taller teen stood.

"Hey Yami, I see you're going to join us downstairs." Tristan greeted. The once pharaoh gave him a droll look.

"Are we going or are we going to stand here all night?" he inquired. The four teens went downstairs into the dark game shop where they heard voices.

"Jesus, I didn't hit'im _that_ hard." A shadowy figure muttered. The shadow beside the other smacked the first on the head.

"Stupid, now we've prolly alerted the police by breaking dat window."

Joey chose that moment to switch on the lights, blinding the two men just inside the broken window.

"Rare Hunters." Yami growled as soon as his vision adjusted. The two darkly dressed men looked up and spotted the four stunned teens.

"Gesh it's the Pharaoh!" the first one cried. "Of all the dumb luck…"

"I'd advice you to leave immediately." Yami warned him as his third eye appeared on his forehead signally a surge of shadow powers within him. The two men slowly backed then stumbled over the windowpane.

"That kid ain't worth messing with _him_ over!" the second one cried before they both took off running into the night.

Joey and Tristan went down and watched them leave while Tea picked over the destroyed shop and turned over shelves.

"I wonder who they meant by when they said kid." She asked only to be answered by a groan from under one of the shelves.

Tristan, Joey and Yami turned over the shelf to reveal an unconscious girl with red and black hair…Tanith.

Tea went down and checked her pulse, "She's alive…surprisingly. She must have gone straight through the window all the way into the shelf."

Tristan and Joey bent down beside her and Joey poked her with his finger.

"Wonder how she got out without a mark on 'er." He asked as Tristan lifted her up into his arms.

"Let's take her upstairs and wait until she wakes up." Yami told them. "Then we can ask."

As Tristan carried Tanith upstairs followed by the others, the unconscious girl began to stir. First she moaned and then she began shifting in between consciousness.

"Have to…get away." She said as she was laid down on the living room couch. "They'll find…" Tanith passed out then moments later as Grandpa went and got a cool wash cloth to place over her forehead. When he returned and placed the cloth on her Tanith woke again, her blue eyes cloudy.

"Had to protect…" she softly said and began struggling to get up. Tanith had to be held down by Tea and Grandpa.

"You're safe young lady." He told her and she frowned but laid back.

"The Ring isn't…what? Okay 'Kura…" and with that Tanith passed out and stayed out.

"I wonder what that was all about?" Grandpa inquired frowning alongside everyone else. He shrugged and said as he walked out of sight, "I better get some blankets and pillows for everyone." 

"Did she say what I think she said?" Tea asked incredulous. 

Joey and Tristan looked down at the girl and spotted what they missed looking at her before. Laying in plain sight to everyone was the Millennium Ring.

Yami carefully picked it up, "Looks like this girl has a few things to answer to."

Meanwhile inside the psyche of Tanith sat a room draped in burgundy silk and shadows. Inside the room a table was set for two lit only by two candles sitting in between the only two occupants.

"Nice soul room you have here Tanith," Bakura said as he ran his fingers over the flames of the candles. "Very similar to my own."

Tanith smiled and watched as the flames danced over the yami's fingers. She reached out and took his hand, drawing it towards her.

"I'm glad you like." She told him. "So…are you going to explain it to me."

"Explain what?"

"When those Rare Hunters began beating me up, why you took over."

Bakura was silent and then shot back, "Are you going to explain why you pulled me back and then shielded me when I was about to get hurt."

Tanith smiled, "I told you already, I _had_ to protect you. I'm your _hitokage_, remember? What happens to you effects me also…" she paused and ducked her head "And I didn't want you to get hurt…"

"Same here." He revealed, "When those goons barged into your game with Malik, I knew they would hurt you…."

Tanith laughed, "So you switched places with me, summoned up Change of Heart and flew us outta there. Oh Ra, the look on Malik's face was classic "

Bakura chuckled, "Yes it was interesting to see. Especially when the card gave him the bird… that being your influence."

Tanith only giggled and notice Bakura frowning, "What's up? Something buggin' ya?"

"Malik's face when his slaves barged into our game." He replied. "He was as surprised as you when they came in."

She shrugged, "Fine day to forget that detector of mine."

"Yes but why would _he_ be surprised, Tanith Lee. He rules over them…"

Tanith frowned, "Yeah that is an interesting observation, King of Bandits."

Bakura chuckled and shook his head, "It isn't nice to pry inside a yami's head."

"I'm not a nice person." She retorted with a smile. Bakura chuckled again and stretched back in the chair causing his shoulder and back to crack.

"Ugh, I feel like an old man with my bones cracking like that."

Tanith giggled, "You _are_ an old man."

He shook his finger at her and leaned over the table at her, "Tisk tisk, we must show some mercy to elders."

She took leaned over and was eye to eye to him, "Not to you. _Never._"

Bakura and her chuckled in union and began getting closer until…

__

Tanith awoke to hammering.

She cracked her eyes open and silently took in her surroundings. She lay on a cot next to the cash counter. Boxes labeled: Turtle Game shop sat on the floor next to her full of glossy Duel Monster cards that once littered the shop's floor. Across from her stood three boys: Tristan and Joey held up the large plywood while Yugi while standing on a chair, nailed it to cover the broken window she and Bakura sailed through.

_Bakura, you said these people were safe. Who are they?_ Tanith asked using their link as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

_They're friends of Ryou. The short one is Yugi, he like you, holds a Millennium Item with a spirit inside. His Puzzle holds the spirit of a Pharaoh known only as Yami._ Bakura began. _The blond is Joey and the dark hair one is Tristan. They are the Pharaoh and Yugi's friends. _

I remember a girl with them, who's she?

_That would be Tea, Yugi's little cheerleader._ He told her. _Although by now they ought to be an item. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they were._

"Hey you're up!" Yugi exclaimed finally taking notice Tanith was awaken and sitting up. He finished up nailing the board and followed his friends over to her.

"You feel up for some food." Yugi asked. "My grandpa cooks a mean omelet.

_You make me ill_, Bakura snapped while Tanith forced a smile, when she really wanted to laugh, and said "Sure! I love omelets!"

Yugi led Tanith upstairs, surprised she was able to walk after what occurred last night but when questioned about it as she sat down at the table next to Tea, she just smiled and winked at him.

"So what's your name?" Tea asked as she munched on a piece of toast and Tanith's omelet was served. Instead of replying the teen began gobbling down her food and gulped down the glass of milk Yugi had just sat down.

"Your Tea, he's Yugi and I'm Tanith." She finally said once she was finished and Grandpa was out of earshot. "Current host for the Bandit King Bakura and the Millennium Ring."

Yugi and Tea's eyes nearly bugged out. Tanith merely looked at them bored.

"Listen Bakura's told me all about you while we were out. Oh, are you two a couple yet… Bakura was curious."

_I was not, _he argued as Yugi sputtered a reply.

"Uh yeah…"

Tanith smiled, "Good, I bet you're real curious about me and how I got a hold of Ryou's Ring."

"Yes, very." Tea replied. Tanith smiled again.

"I'll tell you everything about me once Joey and Tristan get up here. They'll certainly want to hear this."

*******************************************

I love reviews. No flames, just reviews. J 


	6. Chapter Five

"…So let me get this straight." Joey said some hours later as him, Tristan, Yugi, Tea and Tanith sat around the living room floor. "You're some tele-ka-whatsit that just _found_ Ryou after he spent almost a year in the Shadow Realm and now he's sittin' pretty in a coma while _you_ try to stay one up on the Rare Hunters?"

Tanith nodded, "That's about it."

"Telekinesis, Ryou trapped in the shadow realm. It sounds too unbelievable to be true." Yugi told her, "How can we believe you?"

"Fine!" she snapped jumping to her feet then wobbling a tad before she got her balance, "Don't believe me! Me and Bakura have been doing fine on our own."

She began marching out of the room and was at the foot of the stairs when a firm voice said, "Wait." Tanith turned and saw Yami standing before her.

"Something you want Pharaoh?" both Tanith and Bakura asked. Tristan, Joey and Tea seemed freaked out that two voices came from the girl's mouth and put a bit of distance between them.

"Yes, an explanation. How is it that Ryou came to be in the Shadow Realm in the first place?" Yami demanded. 

Tanith smirked and replied in Bakura's voice, "How do you think, _Pharaoh_. Malik and I dueled and I lost."

"How did you escape?"

"They didn't." Tanith said in her own voice and shut her eyes against a rising nausea. "There were shadows and screaming. I remember struggling and pain then a bright light." She opened her eyes and shrugged. "Then nothing."

Yami frowned and took a cautious step toward Tanith, "And how do _you_ know this, Tanith. You weren't there."

She opened her mouth to say something then froze, getting a far off look to her face. The Ring began to glow and its glow enveloped the room when it dimmed a battered Bakura stood in Tanith's place.

"Sorry Tanith can't answer right now, she has to rest." He told the once king. Yami scowled at the Tomb Raider.

"What did you do to her." He growled at the white hair thief. "If you've harmed that girl..."

Bakura snorted, "I would _never_ harm a hair on Tanith, it would be detrimental to my cause."

_Big word, hehe._ Tanith said in a small voice. Bakura inwardly scowled and shoved her back into her soul room.

_Go to sleep,_ he said before slamming the door shut on her.

"And what is your cause, thief." Yami demanded. Bakura just smiled at the shorter man. With a growl Yami grabbed a hold of the lapels of Bakura's jacket and jerked him down face to face with him. 

"What _is _it." Yami growled.

"Keeping my light safe and alive." Bakura replied. "I am _not_ staying in the body of a sixteen year old _girl_ any longer than I _have_ to."

Yami released him and the tomb raider began straightening his jacket in the remaining silence. Once that was done he waved to everyone and started out the door.

"Hey, where are you two…er I mean…where ya goin'?" Tristan exclaimed. Bakura stopped at the door down to the shop.

"Home." He replied. "Getting thrown through a window has reminded me of a previous engagement I have with a pillow and bed." 

"But what about the girl? Tani or something like that." Tristan asked and then blushed. Bakura just rolled his eyes.

"Her name is Ta_nith_ and she is going to stay in said bed with _me_." It was Bakura's turn to blush and mutter, "That didn't come out right…"

"I'm disturbed, is anyone else?" Tea inquired. Three hands went up during the time that Bakura slipped away.

"Stupid Pharaoh and his friends.' Bakura muttered as he walked down the still dark streets and was suddenly overwhelmed with dizziness. _What are you doing in there?_ He snapped at Tanith.

_Trying to take over, I'm _not _going to kick back while _you_ try to coddle me._ She replied. _You being soft is a very disturbing thing._

Tough luck. You expended too much energy keeping us from getting killed and you need to recover first. So just go to sleep and leave everything to me.

No! Tanith exclaimed shoving the door to her soul room open. _My body, my rules. You get in here and _sleep! _I can take care of myself._

Before Bakura could do anything he found himself jerked into the Ring and locked inside. Tanith found herself weak, dizzy and sick to her stomach a block from Yugi's. She stumbled briefly before starting off toward the junkyard where home rested.

"Great time to show off." She muttered as she trudged. "I'm big enough to take care of myselfeven when I no doubtably have a concussion or worse."

Tanith tried simply putting one foot in front of the other but tripped over her own feet landing hard on her stomach, knocking the breath out of her.

"Need some help?" A familiar voice inquired. She found herself helped to her feet by Tristan and Joey while Yami simply looked at her after speaking and Tea dusted her off.

"Oh hi," Tanith said blinking up at everyone. "I .." Joey cut her off as Tristan once again swung her up into his arms.

"Are going to stay what is remaining of the night with us."

She glared at him, doing a fair impression of Bakura as the five of them went back to the store then upstairs to Yugi's house. Once inside, Tanith was laid on the couch while the three visiting friends took spots on the floor and Yami went to Yugi's room.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked before Yami walked out of the room.

"Why not?" the pharaoh replied and walked away.

*******************************

He was cold was the first thought that went through Ryou Bakura as he floated up into consciousness.

As he opened his chocolate brown eyes the smell of disinfectant assaulted his nose. He realized he was in a hospital and he took in his shadowy surroundings.

He saw a chair near the window that was full of shadows. He spied all the machinery he was connected to, the IV drips full of clear liquids and the beeping of a heart monitor. The sight of the three needles in his pale arms made him sick.

"Welcome back." A familiar voice greeted him. Ryou's eyes shot to the shadowy chair, the only place that was not visible in the room. 

Malik rose out of the chair revealing himself to the hospitalized teen with a smile that sent chills down his spine.

"Hello Ryou, how does it feel to be back in the real world after being trapped in the shadow realm for nearly a year." Malik inquired coming up beside him.

"A-year?!" Ryou replied in an unused voice that cracked toward the end of the statement. Malik nodded. "Yes, I brought you back though. For your item."

Ryou's hand shot to where the Ring was suppose to reside and found it gone. Malik chuckled when he saw the movement.

"You don't remember the girl who brought you here do you?" he asked. "Petite with red hair and dark blue eyes. Wears cut off shorts, a tube top and a ratty old duster?"

Malik chuckled again when he saw recognition cross Ryou face. 

"She has it. Tanith has been safe guarding it and your yami for you."

Ryou's eyes went wide when Malik said that and yet again Malik chuckled.

"She's been a good little girl and even went as far as challenged me to a chess game to insure you _and _the Ring is safely out of my clutches." He told him.

Ryou glanced at his food tray and noticed the game he failed to notice before. It was at this time that Malik pulled out a syringe and slipped the contents into Ryou neck. The boy startled for a moment and then the contents began to work its magic.

"Having Tanith keep coming here is vital to my plan and so you must stay peacefully unaware of everything going on. Night night Ryou." Malik told him before he slipped back into unconsciousness. 

*******************************

The real morning and not the crack-of-dawn-one-o'clock-in-the-morning type of morning began like the afore mentioned morning did. Tanith woke up to be greeted by breakfast of omelets that she gobbled up alongside a more subdued Yugi, Tea, Joey and Tristan.

"Hey Tanith, was your mom a tele-ka-whatsit?" Joey asked in between bites of a four-egg omelet. Tristan elbowed him when Tanith shot him a dirty look.

"No Joey, my mom wasn't…" she replied adding silently, _`Or she would have lived.`_

"Ya know you look kinda familiar." Joey told as he shook his fork at her. Again Tristan elbowed him but he kept on. "I'm thinkin' on the news… that's it!"

"What's it?" Yugi asked as Joey shot to his feet. He glanced at his shorter friend and pointed to Tanith.

"She's Tanith Rivencroft, the chick who survived dat town fire!" Tea and Yugi looked at her and blinked. Tristan apparently already knew and continued to eat his breakfast while his friends gawked.

"Yes it tis me, the chick who survived dat town fire." Tanith repeated evenly.

_Shall I send them to the shadow realm?_ Bakura inquired. _Tell me I can._

Tanith disguised a chuckle as a cough and replied, _No you can not. Try again when they annoy me more._ Bakura chuckled.

"Wow," Joey said sitting back down. "It's like meeting some celebrity…"

"One known for surviving a slaughter under strange circumstances…" Tanith added. 

"So where did you go after the fire?" Tristan asked. "To get away from the media circus I mean."

"My grandparents here in Domino and after they passed away, the junkyard." Tanith replied in between sips of her second glass of milk. "Bakura and I found a box car that we converted into a pretty nice place. With my technical know-how, we had almost all the amenities that a normal place would."

"_Bakura_ and you?" Yugi asked incredulous. Tanith nodded.

"Yeah the first night after my grandparents were buried, I found Ryou and the Ring. Pretty neat huh?" she asked.

"So you've just been living in a train car, doing what?" Tea inquired.

"Yeah, what'cha been doin'?" Joey piped up only to have a piece of toast fly into his mouth.

"I've been making and repairing stuff. Like the generators that runs on used oil I first made while my grandparents were still alive." Tanith smiled fondly, "Poppy was going to see about patenting some of my stuff."

"Like what?" Yugi asked.

"Well there's the generators that run the fans. The welder I made to work on gas I siphoned from all the junk cars. Then there's the smaller Duel disks I cooked up for Bakura to entertain himself with."

"Duel disks!" Joey exclaimed, his voice muffled by the toast. To everyone else it sounded like "Wool whisk."

"How'd you make the duel disks?" Yugi wanted to know. Tanith got a sheepish look on her face.

"I uh, broke into Kaiba Corp. via the ventilation system, hacked into the system and stole one Old man Kaiba had in the shop." She replied. Joey began choking on the toast and when he finally got it down, began joined Tristan laughing.

"A little girl broke into Kaiba Corp and stole a duel disk!" Joey exclaimed, "I wish I could have seen Kaiba's face! He thinks he's so smart…"

"He is," Tanith argued. "He just didn't assume that the ventilation system needed an alarm too."

"I got a question." Tristan said. "I remember hearing about how the Duel arenas in Kaibaland went on the fritz and began playing monsters opposite of what they were supposed to. Did you---?"

Tanith smugly smiled, "I still get giggles thinking of how simple it was to do."

Tristan shook his head in amazement as Yugi said, "You know it took Kaiba nearly two hours to fix those."

"And it took two minutes to set up." Tanith countered then she shrugged, "But enough about me. What about Ryou? I can't just keep playing chess with Malik praying that I'll win and he'll _just_ leave us alone."

"Maybe he'll wake up soon." Tea said. Tanith sighed.

"Maybe…"


	7. Chapter Six

Spending the day was a different experience for Tanith. She would have spent the entire day doing chores. Chores like checking the generators and tuning them up. Gathering gas and oil for them. Then later entertaining herself with Bakura. Instead she helped Yugi and his grandfather with the shop.

Tanith fixed the cards and shelves that she and Bakura messed up alongside Yugi and his friends. After the shop was cleaned up, Grandpa called for another window to be put up and then opened the store.While Grandpa minded the counter and Yugi played a three way duel with Tristan and Joey with Tea cheering them on, Tanith tinkered with door chime and made it play "Hey good looking."

Once a customer walked in and the chime played, Grandpa suggested she try fixing their VCR. After two minutes, Tanith came down and announced she was done and the VCR was now a four head instead of two. 

Yugi went to say something and then shut his mouth.

_What? Cat got his tongue? _Bakura inquired. Tanith smiled and just shook her head.

Lunch came and so did a few more suggestions from Grandpa since he noticed Tanith's technical know-how. She could fix the T.V; the picture kept going from light to dark then back again. After that she could see why the can opener kept making grinding noise. Then after that, repair the back left burner, it refused to work.

"I'm sorry that my grandpa is putting so much work on you." Yugi told her while she crawled underneath the cabinets to see about fixing the burner.

"It's not work, I do these things all the time." Tanith replied. "In fact, it's fun."

Yugi leaned down to see if he could see what Tanith could.

"I see why that burner isn't working… The wire's frayed to the point of no return…" she exclaimed then added, "Incoming."

Yugi stood up just in time to see a roll of electrical tape go flying underneath the stove, right into Tanith's waiting hands.

"You really can move things!" he exclaimed. She chuckled as she worked.

"You didn't see me shove a piece of toast into Joey's big mouth earlier?" Then Tanith scooted back out from under the cabinet and began "manually" putting pots and pans back.

_The pharaoh's hikari is an idiot,_ Bakura told her. Tanith scowled and replied mentally, _Be nice._

"You just talked to him, didn't you?" Yugi inquired when she nodded he continued, "It must all be too fantastic for you. Having a spirit inside you that isn't your own."

Tanith shrugged, "Not much more fantastic than having telekinesis, just something to take in stride."

"But you can't wait to get rid of him, right?"

"Oh yeah, when Ryou is up and runnin' Bakura goes!" she laughed.

Bakura snorted and muttered, _And here I was beginning to like you._

I didn't say I wouldn't miss you… a tad. She replied privately. The shared some silent laughter.

"You did it again." Yugi told her. "My friends tell me when I talk to Yami I get the same far off look that you just had."

"So what is the **ex**-god king of the civilized world up to?" she inquired as Yugi began helping her put things up.

Yugi shrugged not sensing the sarcasm in Tanith's voice. "I don't really know."

_Probably plotting on the many ways he can ruin my life,_ Bakura said to her. Tanith giggled and really began laughing when Yugi gave her a funny look. 

"Oh come on, you don't share private jokes with the Pharaoh?" she asked. When Yugi shook his head, Tanith shook her head and muttered, "What a stiff."

Inside Yugi's mind, Yami humph. 

Once they were done, Yugi followed Tanith to the kitchen table with the can opener floating up behind them. Once it sat itself on the table, a screwdriver followed suit and ended up in Tanith's hands.

"Usually I don't show off like this," she told the short teen that sat beside her as she quickly took apart the can opener with the screwdriver. "Making things float all over the place, ya know?" 

Yugi nodded.

"It taxes me if I do it too much." Tanith said as she examined the inner working of the machine in front of her. "Makes my head her, gives me nose bleeds. When I was nine, I had a puppy. Loved it to bits."

_How sweet,_ Bakura cooed.

"Can it spook!" she replied and without pause went back to her story, "It ran in front of a car and I tried to stop it. Car looked like it hit a brick wall when the dust settled and my puppy died of fright."

"That's so sad." Yugi replied. Tanith found a piece of metal in the gears of the opener and tossed it aside then began putting the machine back together.

"No. The sad part was waking up gazing at the glassy eyes of your beloved pet in a puddle of blood, some of it yours and experiencing the worst migraine Ra has curse you with."

Yugi started when she said Ra and suddenly in a blaze of light, Yami was in Yugi's place.

"Good afternoon, Pharaoh Yami." Tanith greeted as she finished reassembling the can opener. "To what do I owe the **honor** of your presence."

"Simply to talk." He replied innocently enough.

She smirked as she got up with the can opener and placed it back on the counter where she found it. Then Tanith walked off to repair the television, trailed distantly by Yami.

"God-kings do not talk to shadows of ancient evil tomb raiders." She told him firmly as she began working on the television. "So what do you **reall**_y_ want with me."

"You don't trust me."

"I don't even trust Bakura and I **allow** him to reside in my body."

"**You** allow him? You control when he can come out?" Yami asked incredulous.

_We got a winner! _Bakura exclaimed. 

"Yes, great oh mighty pharaoh. **I** decide when he comes out, not him." Tanith explained. "Power wise we're an even match. What he can't do, I can and what I can't, he can. Understand, **great one**?"

"You have a bad attitude."

Tanith looked up at him from her work, "You just figured that out?"

_I see why you don't like him,_ Tanith said to Bakura as she went back to work. _So snobby, so full of himself._

You should have seen him when he really was the king of the world. Bakura replied.

_Happy I missed that, sorry you didn't._

Bakura chuckled, Yeah, t_oo bad. We would have been holy terrors._

Yup I can see it now: you dragging the old pharaoh's body in and me taking up the back singing his praises. All the death and blood, yup real blast.

Bakura went silent on her and thought in that space of time privately, _How did she know_….

Meanwhile while Tanith spoke with Bakura, Yami was speaking to his hikari privately.

_From the moment I took over, she's been spiteful. Why? _He asked his light.

_I don't know, maybe Bakura told her some lies about you._

No, I don't think so. Yami replied. _From what she said it appears she thinks I'm-- `too good for her'?_

Yugi laughed, _You? An ancient pharaoh? Too good for a lowly orphan who lives in a junkyard? Nah._

Do I detect a hint of sarcasm? Yami inquired with a small smile.

_Maybe a little._ Yugi replied. _Listen, Tanith's got this idea that just because she lives on her own that she's beneath us all. Someone thinking like that has to have some defenses. Plus she's in a house of strangers._

So you think she's simply leery of everyone, me especially and not intentionally being spiteful?

From what I've seen of Tanith, I think so.

"Hey your majesty, " Tanith said all of a sudden snapping Yami back to the present. "If you're done talking about me to Yugi, would you go get me a soda? I'm thirsty."

_I think she's warming up to you, _Yugi told Yami. _She asked for something._

The former pharaoh shook his head and went to the fridge where he knew the sodas were and got Tanith one then returned to her.

"Hey look Bakura, his majesty know how to serve people." Tanith said to her yami as she took the drink from the pharaoh. She noticed Yami clenching his teeth and a vein in his forehead begin to throb and laughed.

_Push him a little more and you'll end up in the Shadow Realm I bet, _Bakura told her. 

"Gonna send me to the Shadow Realm, Yami?" she inquired as she began working on the television once more. "Bakura thinks you will. Think Yugi and his friends would miss a scummy kid like me if you did?"

Yami felt like ice water was dumped on him. Yugi was right! 

"Which question would you like for me to answer first?" he asked still reeling from his light's insight.

She shrugged, "Whether I'm taking a one way trip to the Shadow Realm is fine."

_He tries it and he dies…again._ Bakura told Tanith.

"The answer is no, I'm not." Yami told her. She merely shrugged again and so he rushed on.

"And I think Yugi and his friends would miss the inventive young lady I see before me."

Tanith smirked, "Come on Pharaoh, tell me what you **really** think. I've heard it before. Trashy, dirty, and let us not forget freak."

_Who called you a freak?_ Bakura demanded. _Let me get a hold of them and the deck you swiped from Ryou and I'll show them!_

She smiled slightly and awaited Yami's answer as she worked.

"Do you think Yugi is a weakling simply because of how he looks?" he asked.

"No, most people would call the cops or men in white if they heard what happened to me in the past six months. I think Yugi is pretty brave for a shortie." Tanith said the last with a smile. 

"Then why should I judge you for how you have to live?" Yami asked.

Tanith paused in what she was doing and looked up at him, "You shouldn't."

"Then I won't."

She smiled faintly and after a brief pause said, "Thanks for the drink."

Yami smiled as well and turned to walk away, "You're welcome."

Dinner at Yugi's was like the prior night with the addition of Tanith. Yugi and Joey dueled against each other while Tristan and Tea watched. Tanith slipped out of the room and crawled up to the roof from Yugi's room while no one was looking.

The night sky was full of tiny bright stars. The moon was full in the sky as she gazed out into the night sky and city lights.

"What are you thinking about?" Bakura asked appearing suddenly beside her.

"What might have beens." She replied solemnly. "What would my life be like if my entire town hadn't been wiped out. Would I be like Yugi and his friends? Would I be happy without a care in the world? Or would my life been better if I had also died in the fire."

"Focusing on might have beens is pointless. I thought you knew that." Bakura told her. "It gets you nowhere. Think instead on what will be."

"Like about how we're going to win against Malik?"

"Like that. What else are you going to make happen?"

Tanith thought about that for a moment and replied, "Sell my inventions to a company and make thousands…no millions of dollars off them."

"Anything else?" Bakura inquired quietly. 

She looked over at him and then back at the night before her.

"I'm going to return the Millennium Ring to Ryou, where it belongs." She replied.

He just nodded. 


	8. Chapter Seven

Tanith slipped out of Yugi's house safely once she knew everyone was well asleep and couldn't be roused. Even at the steps leading upstairs she could still hear Joey's loud snoring from where he slumbered.

She gazed across the store where the security system box sat and began pressing the code to turn off the alarms with her mind. Once she saw the red light turn to green she padded to the front door and slipped outside.

_Why are we doing this?_ Bakura asked as she jogged to the alleyway beside the store and walked over to Tristan's motorcycle.

_Because we have to win the game against Malik to ensure Ryou's safety._ Tanith replied as she began hotwiring the bike. A moment later, her manipulations were rewarded by the sound of a starting engine. She revved the engine, slid on the helmet then slipped on the bike.

_Point taken._ Bakura responded with then added, _You know how to ride that thing?_

No but I'm about to learn…fast Tanith shifted the gears and took off wobbly onto the streets.

By the time she ended up at the hospital and parked the bike in the closest legal space in the parking lot, Tanith learned: she should lean into curves, the brake is not the accelerator, and telekinesis is a good thing to have when first learning to drive a bike.

Bakura was simply happy Tanith didn't kill them both. He nearly had a heart attack when she sped through a red light and nearly clipped a car. Thankfully Tanith used her gift to make them jump the offending car.

_You're going to end up giving me gray hairs, mortal._ He told her as she walked into the hospital. Tanith smirked at the remark.

_I thought I already did. _She replied. Bakura snorted at that.

Upstairs in the private room of Ryou Bakura, Tanith found herself alone for a few moments. Moments she used to talk to her friend.

"You won't believe who I ran into today." She told the unconscious boy as she sat down beside him on the bed. Tanith took his hand and continued, "Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea. We had a blast together!"

She paused and smiled faintly, "I'm going to go back and see them once I deal with Malik."

Bakura groaned, _Do we have to. We've done just as well without them._

Tanith laughed, "Bakura is whining now. Wish you could see it."

"Well, well well." A familiar voice said behind her. Tanith spun around with a gasp and saw Malik walk in. She glared at him as he took a seat in a chair across from her. 

"Tanith, I'm surprised to see you." Malik continued as his servant Rashid came in then with another chair, sitting it and the chess game across from his master. "I was told you were thrown through a window and wouldn't make it tonight."

"Accounts of my demise were great exaggerated." Tanith told him as she took her seat in front of him. She kept her eye also on Rashid who lurked in the shadows of the room.

Malik chuckled, "So I see. Shall we play?"

She examined the board and then moved a knight to take his pawn on E4. When Tanith looked up at him, she was smirking.

"Nicely played Miss…" he said with a smirk of his own then brought his hand to his mouth in mock surprise, "Oh I forget, I don't know your last name. Would you mind giving it to me?"

"You've got to be kidding." Tanith replied shaking her head, "You expect me to tell you what my last name is after you sic your goons on me?"

Malik reached across the table and took her hands, "Have you always been this cute, or did you have to work at it?"

Tanith looked at him funny and jerked her hands back to her side of the table, "I don't know what you're tryin' but it I doubt it's working so just make your move so I can leave."

He smiled and moved his knight to D7 then steepled his hands before him and asked, "Can't you tell?" 

Bakura began laughing and exclaimed _He's trying to pick you up! _

Tanith rolled her eyes, "I've just been informed you're trying to pick me up."

"It took Bakura to figure it out for you to realize?" Malik inquired as she studied the board. "I didn't know you were actually a blond."

Tanith looked up at him as she moved her knight again, this time to G5. 

"Look who's talking." She said flat and pointed out his own blond locks. He merely chuckled and moved his other knight to F6.

She stretched back in the chair and rubbed her eyes, "Well I'm done in for now." 

When she rose, Tanith found Rashid at her back. She turned and glared at Rashid as Malik rose out of his own seat and came up to her.

"Hey Scarface, move it or lose it." Tanith warned him. Rashid didn't move or say a word, he merely looked down at her severely.

"I would like you to stay for a bit more." Malik told her. She turned her glare on him.

"Malik, I don't want to stay '**a bit more**'. I want to go home and sleep but your thug here won't move." Tanith snapped.

He smiled at her with mock sweetness, "And he won't move until I tell him too."

_Then **move**_ _him, Tanith._ Bakura told her. _You've got the power, use it!_

I'm trying not to reveal that to our **friends** here, Bakura Tanith shot back. _Any ideas?_

One, let me take over.

As you wish, Tanith replied and relinquished control. As usual a bright light filled the room and the eyes of those inside and where Tanith stood, Bakura now stood.

"Hello gentlemen." He greeted sweetly holding up a pocketed Duel Monster card his hitokagegot from the shop. Malik scowled at the Dark Bat card in Bakura's hand then motioned Rashid to step aside. 

"A pleasure seeing everyone again." Bakura said as he walked by Rashid. Once he was outside the room, in total disregard of the hospital staff around him, Bakura relinquished control back to Tanith who began running to her stolen bike and tore off toward Yugi's.

About ten miles from the place, she began to hear another rider behind her. Chancing a glance back she was startled to realize Malik was on a Harley slowly catching up with her.

_Bakura do something, he's gaining!_

It's a crotch rocket, go faster! Bakura argued then a moment later said, _On second thought never mind, let me out._

Tanith obeyed and soon Bakura was at the wheel of the bike. With one hand to steer, he fished around in his coat pocket for a good card to use.

He pulled out the Headless Knight card and his eyes gleamed as he muttered, "This'll do." 

Then he slowed the bike down and waited for Malik to get a little closer. When he did, Bakura summoned the monster and sicced it on Malik. He speed away to the sound of blade meeting tire and Malik tumbling off his bike.

"So long loser!" Bakura said over his shoulder as he disappeared into the night.

At Yugi's, Bakura gave Tanith back her body and she settled the stolen bike back where she got it. Then she slipped back inside the shop and headed upstairs where a nice soft couch waited for her.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Hey pass me the bacon please." Joey asked at Breakfast the following day. Tanith reached over and handed Joey the stacks of bacon.

"So where did you go last night?" Grandpa asked Tanith as he sat down at the head of the table. Tanith choked on her mouth full of milk and quickly gulped it down before she spewed.

"How'd you know I went out?" she asked.

"The alarm system was turned off. You are the only one I know that could have disengaged it without tripping the alarms." Grandpa replied. 

Tanith blushed, "So you heard about my psychokinetic abilities."

"I thought you said you had **tele**kinetic abilities." Tristan said. 

Tanith held up her fork, bent the tines then fixed them, and said with a shrug "Telekinetic, psychokinetic. Same thing."

The only reaction she got out of Grandpa was a raised eyebrow. Yugi merely continued eating his breakfast while his friends made sounds of disbelief and amazement.

"So tell me, where did you go?" Grandpa asked again.

"To visit Ryou in the hospital and play a game with a…an acquaintance." Tanith replied and began eating the food before her like there was no tomorrow.

"What did you play?" Tea inquired.

"Chess. We had so much fun he didn't want me to leave." Tanith answered with a small grin. Inside the Ring, Bakura snickered.

"**He**? So you's was playin' with a boyfriend of yours?" Joey said with a sly grin on his face.

"Joey!" Yugi admonished. Tanith merely used her abilities to shove a whole slice of bacon down Joey's throat. While he recovered she corrected him.

"I was playing against Malik Ishtar for your information. Him and Bakura made a deal to leave Ryou and me alone if I won."

"What happens if you lose?" Yugi asked.

"Malik gets the Ring." 

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Joey finally got the bacon down and opened his big mouth.

"Well don't let him get the Ring, kick his…"

"Joey!" Tea snapped. Joey flushed and received another flying piece of toast in the mouth.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

I loved all my reviews so much I wrote this faster than normal J Thank you!


	9. Chapter Eight

His eyes fluttered open once more and took in his surroundings. It was morning, the room was empty this time. His neck hurt a little where Malik punched some sleeping drugs into one of his main arteries.

A nurse came in and jumped in surprise when she discovered Ryou was awake. She quickly stuck her head outside and called for a doctor. He watched in silence as the doctor soon came into his room.

"Good morning." The man greeted the teen.

"'Morning." Ryou croaked. "Where'd he go?"

The doctor looked at him puzzled and asked puzzled, "Where did **who** go?"

"Malik, he was here." The teen replied, his voice getting stronger with use.

"Your cousin was here last night and left shortly after…"

Ryou cut him off, "Malik's not my cousin. Where'd you get an idea like that?"

The doctor looked at him in surprise, "Well, from Mr. Ishtar himself. Shortly after you arrived he appeared and filled out your paperwork…Are you sure he's not related? He had a boy with him that looked similar to you." 

"Very sure. Keep him away from me." Ryou told the doctor firmly and turned his head aside and pointed at a faint mark on his neck, "I woke up before and he drugged me."

The doctor looked shocked and examined the mark closer. He realized then that Ryou was telling the truth.

"I shall call the police immediately." He told him and went to walk out of the room.

"No! Wait." Ryou cried out. The doctor paused at the door.

"There's a girl. Red hair, duster? Have you seen her?"

"Quite often." The man replied. "She was here last night. Filthy child, don't know why she keeps coming."

"Call the police, post a guard whatever but let her in and only her." Ryou told the doctor. He yawned and began drifting off. "I want to see her. Thank…her."

"I'll see to it personally." The man replied and left the room in a rush.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The shop was unusually busy and almost non-stop the tune of "Hey good looking" played. While Yugi and Grandpa took care of the customers, Joey and Tristan played a game of Dungeon Dice Monsters while Tea watched Tanith tinker with a rubix cube. Finally lunch rolled around and everyone finally had a chance to talk.

"Still at that cube?" Yugi asked as Tanith kept toying with his rubix cube in between bites of French fries.

"Mechanics is what I'm good at, not puzzles."

_And here I thought you were a genius, _Bakura said. Tanith scowled.

"One of these days I'm going to be able to smack him." She growled as she tinkered with the puzzle at the table. "One of these days."

Inside her mind, Tanith heard him laugh while outside she heard Yugi and his friends chuckle.

"Speaking of which, wonder when Ryou's gonna wake up." Yugi asked. Everyone was silent as Tanith shrugged.

"I saw him last night and he was out like a light. But hey, we can visit him!" she exclaimed then said more subdued, "When the shops not so busy."

"Oh go on," Grandpa said as he ate, "I usually take care of the shop on my own anyway."

All five of the teens cheered and thanked Yugi's grandfather before taking off downstairs.

"First we have to go get a few things from my house." Tanith said as she led them out the door. "The detector, my tooth brush if I'm going to stay with you guys anymore."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Tristan replied.

The shop was filled with techno music blaring from the alarm clock beside the place where Tanith usually slept. Bits of machine parts lay scattered everywhere but strangely didn't make the place appear junky. Lights clicked on automatically as the five teens walked inside.

As the others stood in the doorway, Tanith walked up to her alarm clock and firmly smacked the snooze bar then walked over to her workstand and began to rummage through the parts as the others hovered uncertainly in the doorway.

She quickly found what she was looking for, the beaper-like Rare Hunter detector and placed it in her pocket before walking out the door with her friends.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Malik and his servant Rashid strolled in and made their way to Ryou's room where they found an armed guard sitting in a chair outside the room.

"It appears we're too late, Rashid." Malik said to his servant. "Ryou has awaken and warned the staff about us."

A devious gleam appeared in his eyes as he pulled out the Millennium Rod and sought out the mind of the guard before him. Thoughts of boredom and doughnuts quickly changed to blank nothingness as Malik took over the guard's mind and walked up to him with Rashid beside him.

Inside the room, Ryou was watching T.V when Malik and Rashid walked in. He gasped in surprise and made to get up but there wasn't anywhere to hide from Malik, so he patiently waited for the teen's move.

"You didn't actually think alerting the authorities against me was going to help, did you?" Malik asked him.

"It was worth a try." Ryou replied and Malik sighed.

"Now you made things difficult. Now I'm going to have to speed things up, force my hand and be firmer with our friend Tanith." He told him as he pulled out an identical syringe as last time.

Ryou's eyes widened watching paralyzed with fear and something else as Malik strolled over and injected him with another dose of sedative. His eyes began to droop and he began to hear things as if they were at a distance.

"Too bad you're going to miss all the fun." Malik told him, his voice echoing in the incoming darkness. "I shall have to enjoy it for the three of us."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Tanith led the way into the eerily quiet and empty hospital corridors. Her eyes cut toward every door, her movements poised and ready for action. She led them past sleeping security guards and nurses' backs straight to Ryou's dim room. She paused outside it and held the others back behind her.

_Do you sense it?_ Tanith asked her yami.

_Something's not right._ Bakura replied.

"What's the hold up?" Joey whispered in Tanith's ear.

"You notice how weird everything is." She asked her eyes straight ahead staring at Ryou's room. "How the nurses turned at the right moment to sneak pass. How there's nobody awake that's around."

Yami took over for Yugi and nodded. Tea nodded as well as Tristan looked a bit puzzled along with Joey.

"So we caught them at a bad time." Tristan whispered back.

"No, Tristan. We're being expected, shall we keep our host waiting?" Tanith replied and began walking toward Ryou's room followed by Yami, Tea and then Joey and Tristan.

The TV volume was turned down to a discrete murmur. The lights were turned down low sending the room into shadows but not dark enough for Tanith to miss seeing Malik sitting before their game and her empty chair.

"I was wondering when you would return." He said to her and looked up spying Yami and the others. "And I see you've brought guests."

The detector in Tanith's pocket began to buzz faintly adding it's faint noise to the quiet surroundings.

"I sense you're bringing guests as well." She replied with a smirk and sat down in front of him while the others rushed to Ryou's side.

Malik smiled, "You would be correct." His lashes lowered over his eyes as he added, "I believe it's your move."

Tanith peered at the chessboard contemplating her next move all the while Yami and his friends looked over Ryou.

He looked a bit paler than usual, Yami noted. His gaze slid to Ryou's neck where he noticed two faint marks. Upon closer inspection, Yami saw they were needle marks where someone…probably Malik since the doctors would use one of the IV drips attached to Ryou…injected him with some foreign substance.

"Tanith." Yami said interrupting her game. When she looked up and turned to him, he continued, "Ryou's been drugged."

"Okay spill the beans, Ishtar." Tanith snapped turning a fierce glare upon Malik, "What have you done."

He smiled faintly just as ten Rare Hunters entered and secured the room. "Let's just say I've been keeping this game of ours going."

Tanith jumped to her feet sending the game scattering as Joey, Yami and Tristan took up defensive positions in front of Ryou, Tea and her.

"He's awoke, hasn't he." She snapped at Malik, "That's why there were guards all over the place."

Malik nodded as his Rare Hunters began to advance. Tanith spared a glance at her friends behind her.

"Joey, grab Ryou and prepare." She ordered. Joey slowly backed to the bed and hauled Ryou upon his back, IV's and all.

Tanith closed her eyes and pictured the room as she last seen it. Rare Hunters slowly moving toward and trapping her friends. She breathed in deep, opened her eyes and focused. Immediately the effects were seen.

The room began to shake, sending Malik's forces to the ground and then it was as if a wall fell on them. They lay flattened on the floor, unable to move as Yami led Tea, Tristan and Joey with Ryou on his back ran past them all. At the door Tristan paused at the door.

"Tanith come on!" he cried. She slid off the Millennium Ring and tossed it to him.

"Go!" she commanded as blood began to run down her face like crimson tears. With a final look, Tristan ran and took the Ring with him.

As she watched her friend run to safety then released control, collapsing to the floor with a groan.

"Psychokinesis." Malik said slowly clapping his hands, each slap sending hammers down upon anvils inside Tanith's head. She squinted up at him as he walked up to her.

"A most impressive power." He told her then frowned, "But so taxing isn't it?"

Then he bent down and took Tanith into his arms, "You're weak as a baby now. Feeling **lots** **of** **pain** aren't you."

She tried shooting him daggers but instead the daggers were rebounding and shooting at her. He walked over to the window with her and watched as Yami and the others appeared below.

"How far do you think this is, Tanith?" Malik asked her. "Two stories equals what, Tanith."

Again she attempted a dirty look but hissed in pain and he chuckled.

"Why don't you tell me?"

Suddenly Tanith was flying in the air, crashing through the window and falling out into the blue yonder. She screamed as she fell.


	10. Chapter Nine

"Where's Tanith?" Yami demanded as Tristan raced out of the hospital with the Millennium Ring in his hands.

"She couldn't make it and keep the Rare Hunters down." He said and just then they heard a scream. Everyone looked up and saw a familiar petite form flying down toward them.

"Oh my God it's Tanith!" Tea screamed, "Someone threw her out the window!" 

Just then the Ring began to glow, shadows began to erupt from it and faintly something began to form. First to become visible was large hawk like wings attached to a large muscular body. Then came bat wing like ears on a small head with glowing white eyes and three spikes on the middle of its forehead. A sharp chin extended from his head like a beard would on an Egyptian bust of a pharaoh. It was ugly, lipless and very familiar to Yami.

"In the name of Ra, it's Diabound! Bakura's Kaa!" he breathed as the monster flew up to Tanith and caught her in its clawed hands. Then it floated down with her and gently laid her unconscious body on the ground before vanishing from sight. 

"Tanith!" Everyone cried running to her side. Tristan knelt down beside the others and felt for her pulse.

"She's still alive, bloody but still kicking." He said lifting her into his arms.

"Where'd all that blood on her face come from?" Tea wondered. "She doesn't look cut."

"Let's worry about that later." Yami told her. "We need to get to the shop and get Tanith and Ryou tended to."

Everyone nodded.

Meanwhile inside the psyche of Tanith sat a room draped in burgundy silk and shadows. Inside the room a table was set for two lit only by two candles sitting in between the only two occupants.

"I felt you just now." She told him. "Outside. It was as if you were holding me, saving me from the fall."

Bakura smirked, "Who knows, maybe I did."

Tanith giggled, "Maybe." Then she yawned and massaged her temples. "I got a headache."

"After what you pulled I'm not surprised." He replied and reached out across the table and took her hands. "You didn't need to exert yourself to such a degree."

She squinted up at him, "Malik was drugging Ryou, Bakura. I **had to** stop him, get him away so he would be strong enough…"

Bakura released her hands and nodded with a closed expression on his face. "So he can take over being my lil **host.**"

She looked up at him and cocked her head to one side, "Wasn't that our deal?"

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

It was some time before Tanith awoke. Enough time for dusk to fall sending the city of Domino into shadows. The stars came out and danced their ethereal dance in the velvet blue sky.

Pain greeted Tanith as she slipped back into consciousness. She moaned and tried sitting up but the weight of the comforter draped over her was too much for her.

Yugi rushed to her side immediately. "Tanith! You're awake!"

She tried opening her eyes but every time she did, sharp darts would strike out at her. So she settled on keeping her eyes shut while she spoke.

"Gee and I thought I took a trip to hell." She muttered. Bakura faintly laughed.

"No, you're in my living room on the couch." Yugi told her.

Tanith chanced a brief look around and noticed she and Yugi were alone before quickly shutting her eyes once more.

"Where's the others? Where's Ryou? What happened?" she demanded wincing in pain.

"Well you got thrown out the window in Ryou room.."

"I know this already, I can still feel the ground rushing up to meet me." Tanith snapped then she sighed, "Can you spare an aspirin for a girl?"

"Sure." Yugi replied rushing off into the kitchen and retrieve two pills and a glass of water. When he got back, Tanith was sitting up a little and squeezing her eyes shut. He handed her the pills and the glass then watched as she guzzled the water and aspirin down.

"Ok, let's try this again." She said. "Where are the others?"

"Grandpa is in my room with Ryou and Tea. Joey went over to his house to get Ryou and Tristan some clean clothes and Tristan is in the shower." Yugi said and added with a concerned note in his voice. "He got a lot of blood on him when he carried you here."

"Don't worry about it." She told him. "When I strain myself like that I tend to get bad nose bleeds, nothing real bad it just looks that way."

"Tanith your eyes **and** nose were bleeding."

She snorted just as Joey came in with clothes.

"Okay where do ya want'em." He said to Yugi.

"Put Tristan's things outside the bathroom and hand Ryou's to Tea or Grandpa in my room."

As Joey left Yugi turned his attention to Tanith once more.

"You need to bathe and change clothes too." He told her. "Tea went out earlier and got some of her clothes for you to wear."

Tanith chuckled, "You guys think of everything."

Yugi smiled and scratched the back of his head, "Oh not everything. We didn't think to put something around Ryou until after a few blocks of showing his backside to everyone around."

Tanith and Bakura both busted up laughing.

As time went by the pain went away and Tanith felt well enough to clean herself up. Tea popped up long enough to hand her a bundle of clothes then return to her vigil at Ryou's side. Then Tanith walked into the bathroom took down her hair, sending it cascading just above her shoulders, locked the door and disrobed.

The first rush of water hit her skin in an icy mass and made Tanith make a tiny squeak of protest but soon it warmed up for her to begin bathing. She began with her hair washing out the temporary black hair dye and the dirt from her red hair. Next she washed her body revealing pale ivory skin not all that much different than Ryou's. 

The dirt from six months on the run from life and law turned the water a murky brown. She watched it go down the drain in a detached manner and turned to the problems at hand. Malik was sure to retaliate for freeing of Ryou and he no doubt spotted Yugi and the others. He would soon learn where they were and attempt to recapture Ryou or her.

_That must not happen,_ she thought firmly to herself as she turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. 

__

She went through the clothes Tea brought for her and chose first a form fitting sleeveless top of dark gray with a lavender heart even at the base of her collar bone. Over it she chose another form fitting black top with spaghetti straps, both revealing her midriff. Out of the stack she slipped on a pair of short that hit her about her knees then slipped on her duster.

It was then she noticed one of her sleeves was completely gone. With a shrug she ripped off the other making it into a duster vest. After slipping on her boots, she left the bathroom.

She went past Tea as she walked into Yugi's room and sat beside Ryou who lay peacefully in bed wearing a pair of loose blue sweats.

_Looks like the old man or one of the boys changed Ryou._ Bakura said appearing beside Tanith. She nodded and noticed a leather collar sitting amongst others on Yugi's dresser. She walked over and took it, placing on around her neck. It was a perfect fit. She looked around the other leather items on the dresser and found a pair of finger less gloves then placing them on she noticed that there were holes all along the outer part of her arm and that they went up to her elbows.

"So how do I look, Bakura?" Tanith asked quietly.

"You look like a female version of the pharaoh's _hikari_" he replied.

"Do I look like I'm about to kick some butt?" she asked as she walked around the room. "Because I **feel** **like** kicking a certain guy's butt."

Bakura grinned maliciously as she discovered the Millennium Ring on the table by Ryou's bed. "Put it on and let's go."

She gently caressed the golden item and sighed, "Alright." She reached out and slipped the necklace on. For a brief moment it flashed and all was normal again.

"It began with just you, me and Malik and that's how it's gonna end." She said firmly before leaving the room.

Her anger carried her past her new friends and down the steps into the game shop. It led her down into the streets and into the night.

Malik awaited her in what once was Ryou's room. He sat again in the chair in front of the ruined game and the upturned chair that awaited Tanith to set to rights.

She noticed the room was empty of all else. The room was neatly cleaned. The bed was made. The hospital staff knew Ryou Bakura was gone.

"Hello Tanith, I'm glad you returned." Malik said to her. "I was greatly surprised to learn of your powers. To be able to flatten an entire force of my Rare Hunters and still be standing is a great achievement to be had."

"Can it. I'm here to stop you for good not chit chat." She snapped as the chair kicked up and righted its self. She walked over and sat in it.

"So it is time." He murmured almost to himself. "Time for the games to end and the real fight to begin."

He looked up at her, "Tanith do you know who I really am?"

She frowned, "Whadda ya mean who you** really** are? Who are you?"

Malik smiled as his hair got even spikier, his eyes colder and the mark of the Millennium items appeared on his forehead.

Tanith's eyes got wide as an entirely different person but yet the same appeared before her.

"I am called Marik." He told her. "I'm Malik's yami."

"Wow, you could have fooled me." She replied and laughed, "Soooo, I've been playing chess with you, not Malik."

He nodded, "A few times you have met Malik. **He **was the one that sent our Rare Hunters after you, not me. **He** was the one who threw you out the window. I couldn't those things to you, I…like you."

"You like me." She said flat with a frown. He nodded and smirked.

Tanith laughed a little, _Bakura? You hear this? I got Malik's yami, Marik, liking me. This is stupid._

I'd be careful Tanith, he's killed people.

So have you but I'm not afraid of you, She replied and before he could retort she cut off their link.

"You know, you really know how to express yourself." Tanith said to Marik. "Just come right out and say **Hey chick I like you.**" She laughed and Marik scowled.

Tanith leaned over the table and looked straight into his eyes, "So tell me Marik, who's idea was it to dope up Ryou? Curious minds wanna know."

Marik leaned over the table where their faces almost touched and whispered "Me."

Tanith slowly smiled and suddenly Marik was flung straight across the room, crashing into the wall behind him.

"Thanks pal, just what I wanted to know!" she shouted and threw him against the opposite wall with her mind.

Suddenly a black wave of power slammed into Tanith sending her back into the wall opposite of Marik. When she crawled to her feet she looked across from her to see Marik rising with the Millennium Rod in his hands.

"So you want to play rough do you," Marik growled. "Let's see how rough you play without your little _yami._"

The room melted into shadows and Tanith felt like an icy wave passed through her. She looked up and saw Bakura floating up being sucked toward the darker shadows of the shadow realm.

"**NOO!**" Tanith screamed reaching out toward her friend but found herself stuck to the reddish black floor. She began reaching out with her mind locking onto the spirit of the Ring. She began yanking them back toward her but with equal power the Shadow Realm was yanking him back.

"You can't succeed, Tanith." Marik told her. "Bakura was sent to the Shadow Realm and returned from it at my command. Now I command for him to return."

She slowly began loosing her grip on her yami and watched as he slowly began slipping away from her. 

Tanith shut her eyes and began to concentrate hard as she could. She reached out grasping at the spirit. Pulling and relaxing her mind. Inside her mind things began to click together.

_I can move things. Move object, move bodies, move organs, move cells. Bakura's not made of cells, _her mind shrieked. _Cells are for living beings._

But he's made of something, hope cried. _Molecules?_

She began approaching her power in a new way. Instead of reaching out for Bakura as a whole she reached for what made Bakura. Tanith pictured Bakura cell by cell, molecule by molecule move toward her. 

She opened her eyes as tears of blood flowed down them. Bakura was almost within reach. She reached out and grasped his hand, and pulled with both mind and body. A shock wave of power exploded around her.

The Shadow Realm melted away. The smell of sterile alcohol permeated the air. Outside the wind rattled the window. Marik sat across from her unconscious from the wave of power. 

Tanith looked down in her lap and spied her best friend slumbering. She ran her hands through his soft white hair. She rolled him onto his back and quietly called his name.

"Bakura."

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Now I want lots of reviews. J 


	11. Chapter Ten

His eyes opened as he took in a deep breath of air. His eyes focused on the person smiling above him. He frowned.

"Tanith?" he croaked in an unused voice. "What?"

Bakura ran his hands over his faced and then his body. He felt the material of the blue sweats. He looked down at his bare feet and Tanith laughed.

"How did Ryou's body get here" he demanded. That really got her laughing.

"What is so funny, mortal." 

Before Tanith could reply the telephone rang. She got up and answered it.

"Tanith? Is that you?" Yugi's voice exclaimed even before she could say hello.

"Yes, Yugi. What's wrong you sound excited." 

"Yami's got a body!" he cried. "First the walls shook and then when we all woke up Yami was right beside me in a real body!"

Tanith chuckled, "Sorry about that, Bakura's got one too."

"What?!" he shouted. Just then the phone exchanged hands while in the background there was more shouting from what sounded like Joey and Tristan

"Get over here and tell me exactly what happened." Yami told her. She looked over at Bakura who was tying Malik/Marik up with sheets he was tearing apart for such a purpose.

"Okay, but I'm bringing company." 

"Don't worry." He said. "We have company too."

"Bye your majesty!" Tanith hung up the phone as Bakura hauled his hostage up. She turned and addressed him. "That was the pharaoh."

"Uh huh, what did he want?"

"He wants us over at his place to try to figure out why him and you have your own bodies."

Bakura did a double take, almost dropping his hostage. "I'm not in Ryou's body?"

She shook her head, "Nope that would be your own."

"How?" 

Tanith only smiled and Bakura nodded with a grin of his own as she placed the Ring around his neck.

"Let's go see the Pharaoh."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

When Tanith walked in with Ishtar and Bakura she found two strangers sitting on the couch in the living room. One was wearing a turban and a white robe and had the most unusual blue eyes that stood out from his tan skin. Around his neck, she spotted a gold ankh that looked like a key at the bottom. Beside him was a man in a red suit and jacket with straight white hair down passed his shoulders and the one eye Tanith could see was brown.

"Why in Ra's name are **they** here!" Bakura demanded pointing at the strangers and dropping Malik unceremoniously to the floor.

"Who are they?" Tanith asked just in time for Grandpa and Yugi to walk in with drinks.

"Tanith Rivencroft, Maximillion Pegasus and Shadi." Yugi answered handing a drink to each as he introduced them and Grandpa sat down in a chair across from them with his own drink.

"Hi." Tanith said just before Bakura exploded.

"Why are you just sitting back like there's nothing wrong?" he cried and pointed at Pegasus, "He stole your grandfather's soul and you're serving drinks?!"

"Speaking of which where is the Millennium Eye, hm?" Shadi inquired. Bakura paled and ducked behind Tanith.

"Uhh, I lost it?" He replied. Shadi shot him an amused look as Tanith pulled out of her duster pocket the item in question. 

"This thing? I was wondering why Bakura kept trying to hide it." She asked as Yami came in helping Ryou walk.

"I thought I heard your voice." Ryou said to his yami taking a seat next to Grandpa. Then he turned his attention to Tanith. "You must be the girl who saved me."

She shrugged, "Well sorta."

Just then Malik began to stir. All eyes shot to him as he awoke.

"Where am I?" he asked. Upon finding himself tied up he demanded, "Why am I tied up?"

Tanith squatted down in front of him, "Okay, what's your name."

Malik glared at her, "It's you, the stupid girl **he** likes. I thought I threw you out a window."

Tanith rose to her feet, "Well that matter's settled."

Pegasus chuckled, "His sister should be over in a bit to take him home."

"That's a relief." Ryou muttered sending his yami and Tanith into snickers.

"So why is Shadi and Peggie here?" Tanith inquired. 

"They're here to see you." Yami told her.

"For six months I've been watching you, Tanith. Seeing if the power of the Ring would corrupt you or if maybe you were meant for the Ring as much as Ryou was." Shadi told her.

"So did you get what you needed?" Tanith inquired. "Because I'm not wearing that hunk of junk any more. It's Bakura's now."

Shadi smiled a little and said, "So it is."

Tanith turned her attention to Pegasus as Shadi and Bakura went into a staring game with one another.

"So why are you here?" she demanded.

"I was wondering if you wanted a job." Pegasus told her. "Shadi brought me one of your inventions and I was most impressed."

"It's a great opportunity, Tanith." Yugi said as Tanith shot Shadi a dirty look. "You'd get paid for doing something you like to do."

Pegasus reached into his jacket and pulled out some paperwork, "I have the paperwork here for you to sign."

Tanith took the papers and looked them over. "Says I have to work from Duelist Kingdom, why?"

Pegasus chuckled as Bakura shot him a dirty look, "If you agree to work for me you'll be my biggest asset. I don't want my best employee to get taken from me."

She looked up from the paperwork and slammed him against the wall, "I can take care of myself."

Once Tanith put Pegasus down, he cleared his throat, "Okay I'll set up living and school arrangements in Domino."

Tanith smiled as Pegasus pulled out a pen and handed it to her. With flourish she took the pen and signed her name on the dotted line.

"A pleasure doing business with you."


	12. Epilogue

****

Epilogue

Tanith looked out of the jet's window at Duelist Kingdom, her new home until her things from the train car was moved into her home. She thought back to the people she met and left behind in Domino.

Bakura was just settling into Ryou's home with his hikari and his hikari's father when she left. Ryou's dad was told the truth about Bakura's identity and the man left for another expidition with the assurance that his newly found son was in the best of hands.

Yugi had to give up half his room and things to Yami. Tanith sent them bunk beds with her first pay cheek two weeks ago so that the pharaoh didn't have to keep sleeping on the couch. Last she heard both hikari and yami were living life peacefully.

Joey made Tanith promise that if Pegasus pulled anything funny with her that she's phone him and he'd come to beat him up. Also he made her promise to write him if she could get a hold of some rare cards for him.

Tristan also made Tanith promise the same thing concerning duel monster cards.

The day before Tanith left for her temporary home, her and Tea went on a shopping spree. Her new boss learnt that his new employee didn't have any clothes and sent money for that purpose.

Tanith learned much later that Malik's sister Isis had been much aware that her brother's yami had been menacing her. Isis revealed that she sent Rashid to merely keep an eye on her brother and not to stop his quest for the items. Tanith knew she'd never forgive her for that.

Last time she heard Malik was back in Egypt with his family with Marik firmly subdued. Before he left, Tanith pried out of him that last bit of news.

"Please fasten your seat belt, Miss Rivencroft." The pilot said over the speaker. "We're doing our final approach to Duelist Kingdom."

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I thank all my reviewers especially my friends Kaz and Kai for beta reading and helping me along with ideas. Lub ya all. BTW This isn't the end of Tanith. Not by a long shot! 


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